Playing with loaded dice
by vampirerose49
Summary: Set before the movie. Tulio and Miguel have been lovers for a time now and while Miguel goes out on his own, Tulio takes the opportunity to plan something special. But Miguel ends up with the wrong company and Tulio finds himself sick with worry. Rated M for violence and minor sexual references. I'm planning on making this two or maybe three chapters long.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1. **

**The road to El Dorado belongs to Dreamworks! Not me! I'm just a crazy fangirl ;)**

**I got the idea to this when I found out that Miguel and Tulio actually was meant to be a couple. Unfortunately the producers realized that the movie would not be able to be released in the whole world and it would be rated pegi 18. So they took away the "gayness" (fortunately, they didn't really succeed in my opinion) and introduced one of the slutiest characters in Dreamworks history: Chel! Great work, guys! Two big thumbs up to you! -_-**

**Anyway, don't get me wrong. I love Chel and Dreamworks. I'm just happy that I found an excuse to write some TulioxMiguel-fluff :)  
Hope you like it!**

**/\/\/\ **

Miguel stopped dead in his tracks when he felt the stone wall behind his back. Damn it! He was trapped! He looked at the men before him. They were three, no wait, two more had suddenly joined in and none of them seemed very happy. This was not looking good. Why had he been so stupid and persistent on going out and gamble on his own? It was doomed to fail without Tulio's wits. In one last desperate try to get out of this alive, Miguel smiled at the five men.

"Now now, why don't we just calm down and settle this like gentlemen, shall we?"

The man closest to him cracked his knuckles and looked at his companions with an amused smirk.

"I think not," he stated with a dry voice.

**/\/\/\**

_He should've been home by now. _

Tulio nervously walked forth and back in the small room, anxiously letting his fingers run through his raven hair. The stew was almost done and if Miguel didn't come soon it would probably be spoiled. Tulio let out a frustrated sigh and sat down on the bed, almost knocking over a lit candle in the process. He wasn't one for romance but when Miguel had insisted on going out on his own, the will to take the time and do something special for his partner, couldn't be denied.

Truth to say, Tulio had been more than unwilling to let Miguel roam the streets all by himself. But named blonde had been giving Tulio _that_ look all day and it would've been folly to let such an opportunity go to waste. Tulio smiled sheepishly but then blushed slightly as guilt struck him. How could he think about sex now? Miguel could be hurt or put in prison or something even worse! Nothing could be ruled out when it came to the blonde man and Tulio felt his heartbeats race when he thought of the many things that could've happened to his lover. Somewhere deep in his mind a little, annoyed voice kept saying that Miguel was just fine. He had probably just lost track of time and had ended up at some tavern, drinking away the money he had been earning.

That sounded like a reasonable thought except for one thing: Miguel wouldn't do that without Tulio. The worried voice, the one telling Tulio that Miguel had been killed ten times over already, eventually got the upper hand and the blue eyed man rose from the bed. He looked at the lit candles in the little room. It wasn't many but Tulio figured that Miguel would like the idea even if he had just drawn a candle with coal on the wall. The thought made him smile for a split second and he hastily blew out the candles and put the stew on the table. It would probably be cold by the time he came back but that was a minor thing. Miguel was much more important.

It had started raining outside and the water had already transformed the streets into mud and stains of dirt got stuck to the hem of Tulio's pants. He pulled his vest a little tighter around him, knowing that it wouldn't do much good against the cold. He walked down the street, anxiously looking around for a glimpse of golden hair or red cloth, but the streets were dead. When the clouds came with the overhanging threat of rain, people took cover in their homes or nearest tavern. Tulio was alone in his search. He checked the alley-way not far from the docks where he and Miguel used to earn money buy gambling and playing music. Or rather, he gambled and Miguel made women swoon and gladly open their purses to the young, good looking man if only for an opportunity to touch his hand. Tulio would lie if he said that he at moments like that couldn't help but to feel a sting of jealousy but also pride. Miguel had his looks and his charm. He could easily have any person he wanted, man or woman. And yet he chose to stay with Tulio for reasons far beyond the raven man's imagination. He was bossy, not very handsome in his own opinion and he didn't have Miguel's well-developed sense of humor.

He sighed at himself. He was out looking for his missing partner and instead of focusing he was letting himself dwell in self-pity. That was certainly not like him. Maybe Miguel's friendship and love over time had turned him into a softy? He snorted at the thought and was about to leave when he suddenly stepped on something. He looked closer on the ground and picked up two red cubes from the mud. His new dice! He would recognize them anywhere because they always hit the number seven.

"Idiot," Tulio mumbled. He had told Miguel that they would wait with using them until they were absolutely certain that they worked. But apparently the blonde had been too impatient as always. Tulio looked around to see if he could find more clues of where his insufferable partner could be. Next to where he had found the dice was a footprint. It was almost gone due to the rain but Tulio could see that it was deep and the next one was far in front of the first and so it went on. The person had been running.

_No, _Tulio thought and looked around the lonely footprints were several others seemed to be running in the same direction. _Someone was being chased. _Tulio felt how panic rose in his chest and he clasped the dice like Miguel's life was bound to him not dropping them. By now all doubts that the blonde was in danger had vanished. Tulio started to follow the chaos of footprints, slowly so he wouldn't miss any turn they took. Suddenly he came to a crossroad. To the right lay the docks. If Miguel had taken that road there would be a great chance that he had found some place to hide. But to the left was nothing but a backyard. Running that way would lead you to a dead-end. Tulio swallowed and looked down. The lonely prints had started off towards the right but then they changed abruptly and went to the left. Tulio rubbed his chin in annoyance and worry. Of the both of them, he was the street smart one. Miguel's sense of orientation wasn't the best and especially not when he was rushed. Tulio put the dice in his pocket and ran to the left.

**/\/\/\**

How long had it been? Minutes or hours? It was hard to tell through the throbbing pain in his body. His stomach hurt, his head hurt, his chest hurt. Hell, everything hurt! And he could feel the metallic taste of blood in his mouth. Miguel let his tongue slide over his teeth. They were all there, thank heavens. And nothing seemed like it was broken. At least he thought that was the case but he couldn't be completely sure. His body was not willing to allow him to move and examine himself and so he stayed right where he was, lying on his stomach with mud dripping from his hair. Suddenly he heard footsteps. Maybe, after all, they wouldn't do with just "teaching him a lesson", as the leader so kindly had put it. Maybe they had come back to finish the job. Miguel closed his eyes. Honestly he was too tired to really care. The only remorse he had was that he hadn't stayed home all day in the warm, soft bed, cuddled up next to Tulio.

"Miguel? Miguel!"

That did not sound like his assaulters. Someone kneeled beside him and patted his back. Miguel winced a little at the touch. This was not the rough hands that had been beating the living crap out of him just now.

"Oh my... Miguel, are you alive? Please talk to me!" The voice seemed desperate, on the edge of freaked out. Miguel would recognize that voice anywhere.

"Tulio," he mumbled in relief and opened his eyes. Named Spaniard let out a breath he didn't know he had been holding. He put an arm around Miguel's waist.

"I'm gonna try to get you home, okay? But it's..." he swallowed and looked at Miguel's injured body. "It's gonna hurt."

"Bring it," Miguel said quietly with the ghost of a chuckle in his voice. It made Tulio smile as well but he was still all too much aware of the pain he was about to cause his lover. He had also been beaten up pretty bad in his days and back then there had been no one to come and rescue him. He had to deal with it on his own. Tulio was just glad that now when Miguel too had stumbled down this road, there was someone who could take care of him.

"Okay, I'm gonna lift you now. Are you ready?"

"Tulio, just do it. I want to go home now..." Miguel's voice sounded tired and Tulio quickly placed the blonde's arm around his own neck for support. Then he stood up and pulled Miguel with him in the movement. The blonde gritted his teeth in pain and let out a muffled moan.

"Hang in there. We'll soon be home again," Tulio reassured.

"Tulio?"

"Mm?"

"I'm sorry that I took the dice."

Tulio's jaw clenched and a little flash of irritation and anger shoot through the worry. Much of this might've been avoided if Miguel had played fair with the normal dice. He couldn't lie and bluff the way Tulio did. He was simply too kind hearted. Tulio loved him for that at the same time he feared that it one day would be his downfall.

"We talk about it later," Tulio simply said with a voice that let Miguel know that he would not get so easy away with making his partner so worried.

**/\/\/\**

**Personally I think Tulio is the hottest of them but I can see why most people seem to like Miguel ;)**

**What do you think so far? Please let me know and thanks for reading! :D**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2.**

They stumbled in through the door and made their way to the small bed they shared. Breathing out, Tulio helped Miguel sit down on it, receiving a gasp of pain through gritted teeth while doing so.

"You think you can take off your shirt? I need to clean your wounds," Tulio asked softly and went for some water and a rag, lighting a fire and putting the stew back for reheating at the same time. When he came back to the bed he found Miguel in the exact same spot with his bloodstained shirt still on. He looked like he was sleeping and it was a miracle that he hadn't fallen off the bed. Tulio put the bowl of water down on the floor and snapped his fingers in front of the blonde's face to bring him back to reality.

"Stay with me," he said as Miguel woke up, fighting to keep his eyes open. One of them had started to swell and turn angrily blue.

"I'm trying," Miguel responded with a smile and looked up at Tulio. Realizing the blonde wouldn't be able to remove his own clothes, Tulio took the shirt off, revealing several bruises and cuts on his upper body. Trying to hide how much the sight emotionally pained him, Tulio leaned down to pick up the rag and the water.

"Is it bad?" Miguel asked and stared at Tulio with his healthy eye in an attempt to find any clue of how bad he had been hurt, but the black-haired man didn't answer. He was afraid that Miguel would freak out if he found out about the big, purple and red bruises covering his stomach and chest and the cut marks on his arms. Wetting the rag he simply said:

"I'm gonna clean your wounds now." Miguel nodded and closed his eyes as the cold water met his body. As the dirt and blood were cleaned away Tulio found that none of the cuts were deep and that the worst injuries were the hits Miguel had taken to his upper body. Had they been kicking him in the chest? Tulio felt his blood boil at the thought.

When he was done with Miguel's torso he continued to his face. Except for the eye he seemed to have gotten away with just a split lip and Tulio sighed in relief. Even though he himself would love Miguel no matter what he looked like, he knew the blonde would take it hard if he lost his looks, regarding it was part of his way of helping with earning money.

"Did you plan something while I was gone?"

Tulio was ripped from his thoughts by Miguel's words. Following the blonde's questioning look he saw that he was staring at the candles. The blue-eyed man suddenly felt very embarrassed and hurried off to empty the bowl through a small window, the only one in their little home. When he returned he found Miguel looking at him with an amused smile that was too irresistible to ignore. Avoiding his gaze, Tulio tried to find the right words to sound affectionate but at the same time to not sound like a little girl.

"I thought that maybe...we could just have a good time..." he said, rubbing his neck awkwardly. Miguel just smiled sweetly.

"That sounds lovely," he stated simply. Tulio felt himself grow warm and he was certain that he was blushing. He was still not used to being treated with love and have someone say sweet things to him, even less say or do sweet things himself. Not knowing how he would respond properly, he put the now empty bowl down and went to fetch some stew for Miguel and himself.

**/\/\/\**

They ate during silence and Tulio felt glad that his lover had no problems with swallowing and keeping his food. It took it as a proof that he wasn't too badly injured. After the food Tulio helped Miguel to lay down and draped a blanket over him.

"How are you feeling?" he asked softly but with a slight irritation in his voice. He hadn't forgotten why they were in this situation in the first place.

"I'm fine now. It doesn't hurt so much anymore," the green-eyed man replied and looked at his lover with a tired eye.

"Then what the _hell_ were you thinking!?" Tulio asked harshly, his words filled with all the worry and anger he had felt and was still feeling. Miguel barely reacted to the sudden outburst. He had seen it coming.

"I just thought that..."

"Thought what? That getting yourself killed would help me? Help us?"

"I wasn't..." Miguel tried again, but again he was cut short by Tulio who couldn't control the steady stream of words that wanted to be spoken.

"You should've asked me about the dice so I could've said no. I was worried sick! I thought you were in jail! Or dead! I didn't know what to do if I had lost you. I... I still don't know..." The last words were nothing more but a weak whisper as Tulio dropped down on the bed and hid his face in his hands. Miguel looked at his back and then reached out to rub his back soothingly.

"I'm not going anywhere," he said softly while painting light circles on Tulio's back with his fingertips. He received a tired sigh in response.

"I did a mistake but I'm alive," Miguel continued. He sat up to wrap his arms around Tulio's neck from behind and he smiled as the other man took his hands from his face and intertwined his fingers with the blonde's.

"I'm sorry, I just...got scared," Tulio explained, once again feeling embarrassed with his own display. When did he got so emotional?

"I know," Miguel whispered into his hair. "You want to know something?" he suddenly continued and the raven-haired man could hear the smile on his lips.

"What?" he asked.

"I love you."

Tulio felt a smile of his own tug at the corner of his mouth and even though the three little words felt so strange in his ears, they made him warm.

"I love you too," he said and pressed one of Miguel's hands to his lips before laying down next to the blonde and wrapping his arms around him.

"In a few days, when your wounds have healed, we will go and try out the new dice for real," he spoke while breathing in the scent of Miguel's hair. The blonde looked at the ceiling and was lost in thoughts for a moment before answering.

"Maybe we could earn enough to get on a ship and just get away from here. To have an adventure of our own, I mean a real one. Like those you read about in books," he said absentmindedly. Tulio rolled his eyes at Miguel's naivety.

"I wouldn't count on it, love."

**/\/\/\**

**There it is. The end of this little short story. Geez, when did I become so fluffy in my writing? Where did the angst go? Well, it might help if I tell you that this is (as it says in the description) before the movie. Before Chel, before "Friends never say goodbye"... **

**Hope you enjoyed it and feel free to leave a review. It's always nice to see what people think of my writing :)**


End file.
